Pork Guazzetto

Guazzetto is a long cooking stew in Italy and can be made with fish, poultry, pork, you name it.  It is slow braised.  I love to serve this dish over polenta, which is how I prepared it here, but you could also wrap it in tortilla shells as Silmara did for her family. I adapted this recipe from one I saw Lydia Bastianich make years ago.

Ingredients

·      Olive oil

·      3 pounds bone-in country pork ribs

·      1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms

·      2 slices turkey bacon (I prefer Applegate farms), chopped

·      1 white onion, chopped

·      2 stalks celery, chopped

·      2 carrots, chopped

·      2 cloves garlic, chopped

·      2 tablespoons tomato paste

·      Zest of one orange

·      2 bay leaves

·      1 tablespoon dried rosemary

·      2 cups dry red wine (1 cup for the pot and 1 cup for you!)

·      3 cups chicken stock, room temperature

·      salt and pepper

Directions

Add olive oil to a heavy bottomed or Dutch oven pot and brown ribs on all sides using high heat.  Meanwhile, soak the dried porcinis in enough hot water to cover them.  When the ribs are done, remove from the pot and set aside on a plate.  Sprinkle with salt while they are still hot. Remove the porcinis from the liquid and chop.  Set aside the liquid.

Add the bacon to the pan and if needed, a little more oil.  Brown the bacon until crispy and add the onions, celery and carrots.  Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir.  Cook one minute more.  Make a space in the center of the pan and add the tomato paste.  Stir about 30 seconds, then mix with everything else in the pot.

Add the ribs back to the pot and add the orange zest, bay leaves, rosemary and the wine.  Give it a good stir and let the wine cook off for a few minutes.  Add the porcini juice and 2-3 cups of broth, enough to cover the ribs completely.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Let it cook for at least 2 hours, more like 2 and a half.  If you test it with a fork and the meat doesn't easily fall off the bone, it is not ready.  Do not be afraid to overcook this dish because that would be hard to do.  Stir every once in a while and if the liquid falls below the meat, add more stock.

Serve over quick cooking polenta, rice, pasta, or in taco shells!